Huangchangdian Writing Brush Shop

Huangchangdian Writing Brush Shop was established during the reign of Emperor Xianfeng of the Qing Dynasty (1851-1861) by Huang Songshan and Chen Chunting. They inherited their ancestral techniques in making writing brushes and opened a shop named Huangchangdian at the gateway of Guilin Government (near present Yiren Road). Due to strict material selection, high-quality materials, exquisite manufacture and techniques, their writing brushes became the first choice of the nobility and candidates for imperial examinations. Their products were praised highly as "no need to pick among Huangchangdian brushes". During the period of Guilin Cultural Center in the War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, a large number of famous literati gathered in Guilin. Famous artist Xu Beihong used exactly Huangchangdian brushes in creating the Picture of Spring Rain at Lijiang River. The cultural figures including Guo Moruo, He Xiangning, and Tian Han, also preferred and highly praised Huangchangdian brushes. They competed in purchasing, treasuring up and presenting them to relatives and friends. Soon, Huangchangdian writing brushes became a fashionable cultural gift. In 2010, the traditional handicraft of Huangchangdian writing brushes was included into the third-batch Intangible Cultural Heritage List of the Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in 2010.